The interaction between Whispers of the Dying Sun (henceforth WODS) and Border Keep was the subject of an extensive rules questions thread from September 2009 to March 2010 that included a reversal of the original ruling and an announcement of a pending change to the Comprehensive Rules.
When last the Rules Team visited the issue, the determination was that WODS would allow a second use of the once-per-game ability on Border Keep if and only if both uses of the ability took place on the same turn; that is, a Border Keep that had been used on a previous turn would not get a reprieve due to WODS.
I am having some difficulty understanding how that interacts with the current state of the Comprehensive Rules. From the section on costs and restrictions, "Some effects restrict the number of times a type of occurrence can happen in a time period. If such a restricting effect takes place in the middle of the time period covered, previous occurrences of the restricted effect count against the limit" (examples removed). Although it does not explicitly state such, a reasonable presumption is that the same applies if an effect relaxing a restriction takes place in the middle of the time period covered. Or, in the situation at hand, WODS allows Border Keep to be used "an additional time," relaxing the once-per-game restriction that is already in effect, so long as that use takes place "this turn" (because that is the duration of WODS' restriction-relaxing effect).
Similarly, the rules glossary entry for "additional" has a section on additional uses. "Some effects grant an additional time an ability or trait can be used in a period of time (for example, “an additional time per turn”). This additional time also applies to any period of time greater than the one granted. Example: An ability that can be used "one additional time this battle" can also be used once during the battle even if it was restricted to once per turn or once per game. The term "additional" also means the extra use granted by the effect has to be used after the original ability's first use has been taken." Nothing in this text appears to support the previous ruling that the additional use granted to Border Keep must take place in the same turn as the actual once-per-game printed use of Border Keep. In fact, the example of an ability usable an "additional time this battle," even if it were a once-per-game effect, suggests the contrary.
I would ask that the Rules Team revisit the status of this 2010 ruling. Is the determination that was made at that time still considered in effect? Was a change to the Comprehensive Rules made to describe this behavior? If the 2010 ruling is still in effect, why, and how is that ruling reflected in the current Comprehensive Rules?
Thanks in advance. I know this was a nightmare before, and I'm sorry to drag it out of retirement. It's appreciated.